Improvement in machines for breaking and cleaning flax



'8. A. CLEMENS.

Machine `for Breaking and Cleaning Flax.

Patented Nov. A6.' 1866.

Munn

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.D

STILLMAN A. CLEMENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO JAMES J. WALWORTH.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR BREAKING AND CLEANING FLAX.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,503, dated November 6, 1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, STILLMAN A. GLEMENs, of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Breaking and Cleaning Flax and other fibrous plants and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making' part of this specification, of which- 4 Figure l is an elevation of a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a plan, like letters referring to like parts in both iigures.

My said invention consists in, first, constructing' toothed or gill cylinders, used for drawing fiax and other fibrous substances, with long teeth alternating with short teeth; second, forming indentations in the peripheries of annular rings on a roller used in connection with a toothed drawing or gill cylinder for impaling iibrous material upon the teeth of the cylinder; third, improved forms of construction of the teeth of picking and scutching or cleaning cylinders; fourth, an improved form of construction of concaves for scutching, picking, and cleaning cylinders; fifth, an improved mode of conveying fibrous material from one scutchin g, picking, or cleaning cylinder to another.

In the accompanying drawings of a flax drawing, straightening, breaking, and cleaning machine the working parts revolve in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. l. A is the frame of the machine. B is a revolving feed-apron, passing over the rollers C C', and a c are side boards. D is a toothed or gill cylinder, having annular rows of long teeth b b, Ste., alternating with annular rows of shorter teeth, o c, Snc. E is a top roller to D, with annular projections or rings d d, &c., which project down between the annular rows of teeth of cylinder D, and which have indentures in their peripheries, with their front sides inclined backward from a radial line to the axis of the roller. e is a hinged flap or partial cover over cylinder D, placed between the first 'pair of rollers, F F', and the top roller, E, to keep the impaled flax-straw well upon the teeth of cylinder D while being drawn awa by the said rollers.

Successive pairs of iluted breaking-rollers are represented by F F F F", which are made of the form and adapted in the connection common with Iiuted rollers used to break iiax.

G G are plain pressure-rollers, used to convey broken flax from the luted rollers to the cylinder H. A breast, X, is supported below, and its beveled upper edge iits the whole length of the surface of the lower roller.

The scutching and cleaning cylinder H is close-surfaced, and has peculiarly-formed teeth e c, &c., which are, as shown in the drawings, flat. narrow, and deep, to give great strength to them, and to secure them firmly to the body of the cylinder. 4Their front face is inclined backward from a radial line to the axis of the cylinder from the base of the tooth to near the point of the tooth, from which point the face is curved forward to the point of the tooth, and the face is rounded, forming a hook at the end of the tooth, the point of which projects slightly forward of a radial line to the axis of the cylinder drawn through the middle of the curve of the hook. The back side of the tooth has a shoulder for driving it into the cylinder, and it is curved forward from the shoulder to the front point of the tooth.

I is a concave to cylinder H, (which last, in Fig. 2, is represented broken away to show parts of the concave,) set below it and formed of wooden bars g g, tc., with thin iron faceplates It h, Ste., attached to them, which bars are set in a curve and parallel to the line of the axis of the cylinder, and are supported at their ends by the iron frames ff, which are secured to the frame of the machine.

The points of the teeth e e move closely to the face of the breast X and to the upper edges of the concave face plates h lo.

K is a chute-bottom, for directing the iiax thrownfrom cylinder H underneath the toothed shell-roller L, and for impalin g it upon its teeth.

L is a shell-roller, with pointed teeth t' i, 85e., set somewhat backward from a radial line to the axis of the roller, and is used to receive the iiax from cylinder H, and convey it to cylinder M, which last is constructed similarly and with similar teeth, 7c k, Ste., to those of cylinder H, and used for the same purpose; but the teeth of M are set in annular rows and equidistant apart.

` N is a breast, similar to the breast of X.

O is a peculiarly-formed concave to cylinder M,l( which last and the shell-roller L are represented broken away in Fig. 2, to show the parts of the concave,) consisting of castiron grate-bars P P, 85e., which are curved to the curve of the circumference of the cylinder, and are set parallel to each other at right angles to the axis of the cylinder, so that the annular rows of teeth k 7c, 85e., of the cylinder M will pass between them freely. They are supported at their ends and attached to the iron bars Z Z, which extend across and are secured to the sides of the frame A.

The grate-bars have pointed projections, m m, te., at their front parts and on their upper sides, and they have also projections n u,&c., from their lower sides, with square holes in them, through which the square rods o o, &c., are inserted, the holes being so formed as that when the rods are inserted they will slightly present one of their corners or edges toward the cylinder. The projections u n on one gratebar alternate with those of the bars adjacent, so as-to support different rods, each bar supporting every third rod. These projections -n n are inclined forward from a radial line to the axis of the cylinder.

p p are cut-offs or air-current-deecting boards to cylinders M and S, extending, in the position shown in the drawings, across the frame of `the machine and parallel with the axes ofthe cylinders, and are attached to the door q, which last is attached by the hinge lr to the cover 8,' and t is a board, nearly closing the space between the end of the cover s and the roller G.

Q is a chute-bottom, like K, and used for a similar purpose.

R is a shell-roller, with teeth u u, Ste., constructed like L, and used to receive the iiax from cylinder M and to convey it to cylinder S, which-last is a picker-cylinder, with peculiarly-formed teeth, c o, Ste., which are set to sweep all points of the curved plane of their movement, as ordinary picker-teeth are, and which are made of pointed round wire, secured to the cylinder and bent back at their base or shank, inclining the tooth backward from a radial line to the axis of the cylinder, and the outer end of the tooth is curved forward, forming a slight hook, the point of which extends a little forward of a radial line from the axis of the cylinder drawn through the middle of the curve of the front ofthe tooth.

In Fig. 2 the cylinder M is represented broken away, to show parts of its concave.

U is a concave to cylinder S, with frames w w, bars :l: Sto., and face-plates y y, Ste., adjusted and used like the similar parts in concave I.

V is a grate-bottom to the discharge-chute, of which z z are the supporting sides, attached to the frame, and a. af, Svc., are wooden slats, extending parallel to each other across the machine, with vertical sides, and fastened to the supports ze; and b and c are cross-pieces or boards, extending across the machine parallel to the slats, and fastened at their ends to the supports z z.

Wis a cut-oft' or air-current-deiiectin g board and chute-cover, extending in an inclined position in front of S, with its lower edge close to the points of the teeth of the cylinder.

The driving parts of the machine are indicated in Fig. l by the red lines, and they are more fully shown in Fig. 2.

Motive power being applied to the shaft of cylinder H, or to any other of the axes of the machine, the relative motions are communicated to the different parts of the machine by the following connections, viz:

A spur-wheel, d', on the axis of H drives a 'spur-wheel, e', on the axis of G, which, at its opposite end,has a small spur-wheel, f', which engages an intermediate spur-wheel, g', which last engages a spur-wheel, It, on thel axis of the iiuted roller F, from which, by an ine termediate spur-wheel, i', motion is given to a spur-wheel, 7c', on the axis of F. A similar spur-wheel, l', on the axis of F engages a larger intermediate spur-wheel, m, which is coupled to a small spur-wheel, u', which engages a spur-wheel,o,on the axis of D, which drives both a spur-wheel, p', on the axis of E and an intermediate spur-wheel, g', which last engages and drives a spur-wheel, r', on the axis of C.

Motion is given to the other moving parts of the machineby a band, t', passing over a grooved pulley, s', on the axis of H, and over a grooved pulley, u', on the axis of M. On the same end of the same axis a grooved pulley, x, by a band, y', passing over it and a grooved pulley, z', on the axis of S, drives the latter, which on the other end of its axis has a double-grooved pulley, a, of different diameters of grooves, over either of which grooves the band c passes, and also over the opposite groove of a double-grooved pulley, b, of different diameters of grooves, on the shaft of R.

On the same side of the machine and on the axis of M a double-grooved pulley, o', similar to a, by a band, d, passing over it, and a double-grooved pulley, w', similar to b, on the axis of L, gives motion to the latter. The double-grooved pulleys on the axis of L and M are made of such variable diameters of grooves as that the same band can be used to drive them whether placed over the inner or the outer set of grooves of the pulleys, forthe purpose of giving at will variable speed to L; and the double-grooved pulleys on R and S are similarly made and for the like purpose.

The rollers G G are geared together by spur-gear H on one end of their shafts.

The foregoingdescribed driving-parts are of such dimensions and connections as to"`give the same directions of the revolutions of the working' parts of the machine as are indicated by the arrows; and to give such relative speeds of the different working parts as follows, viz:

The feed-apron B moves slowlyY forward toy allow a continuous thick layer of flax to be received evenly upon it by hand-feeding, and the cylinder D revolves at a speed sufficient to carry forward the layer of flax as fast as delivered to it by the feed-apron. The roller E revolves at its circumference a little faster than the point-s of the teeth of cylinder D. Ihe fluted rollers F F F F" revolve with equal speed, and their surface-movement is several fold greater than that of the toothpoints of D. The rotary speed of the rollers G G is such that they shall take away the sheet of' broken flax as fast as it is delivered to them by the fluted rollers, and no faster. The cylinder I-l revolves with many-fold greater surface-speed than that of the rollers the cylinder M revolves with a surface-speed nearly equal to that of H; and the shell-roller R revolves with a surface-speed much less than that of M; and, finally, the picker-cylinder S revolves with a surface-speed less than that of M, but much greater than that of R.

In operatin the machine tangled flax-straw is spread by workmen in a thick layer upon the feed-table B, and advanced to the teeth of cylinder D, which receives it upon the points of the teeth and carries it forward under the roller E, which byits projecting annular rings impales it down upon the teeth; and by the serrated projections on the rings and their releasable and inclined front edges (moving faster than the body of the layer of' straw impaled on the cylinder-teeth) cause a partial advancing and straightening of the upper stalks of' the sheet of flax, which presents the body of flax to the first pair of rollers, F F', in a more favorable condition for being seized and drawn away by them than would be the case if the annular rings were made plain.

By the use of annular rows of long teeth in cylinder D, alternating with annular rows of shorter teeth, it is found in practice that the sheet of' flax is drawn away more 'evenly by the drawing-rollers than is the case when the teeth are all of equal length.

The combined action of the cylinder-teeth Vand of" the first pair of fluted rollers, as de- Vkept better upon the teeth of d, and more evenly drawn by the drawing-rollers F F.

From the first pair of' fluted rollers the thin sheet of flax passes at high speed between the breaking-rollers Fl F" and between the plain rollers Gr G', which last deliver and hold the broken flax to the scutchin g action of the teeth of cylinder H, 'the shell and breast X preventing the broken flax from winding on roller Gr, and keepingit within the sweep ofthe teeth of H while it is held by the rollers Gr Gr. The cylinder H, revolving very rapidly, by its teeth scutch the flax while it is held by the rollers,

and when it is released from them carry .it down underneath on the points of its teeth and scutch it against the inner edges of the faceplates t L of the concave I, and when carried past the last plate in the conc-ave the flax, by centrifugal action and air-currents, is thrown off f'rom the teeth and directed by the chutebottom K underneath the shell-roller L.

The peculiar form, as before described, of the teeth c c of cylinder H make them very effective in their scntching action; for by the backwardinclined parts of their forward sides the flax is forced toward their points when the cylinder is revolved at high speed, where it is retained while passing the breast and concave by the forward curvature or hook of the teeth at their points, and the flax, being thus carried closely to the edges of' the faceplates of the concave, is effectually scutehed against them.

The flax thrown from cylinder H and directed by the chute-bottom K underneath the shell-roller L is by the revolution of the shellroller carried against the upper part of the chute-bottom and iinpaled upon the teeth fi t', &c., of the former, and in that condition is delivered tothe action of the teeth k k, Ste., of cylinder M, which interlock or pass between the annular rows of teeth in the shell-roller, the points of the former passing' the points of' the latter sufficiently to remove the flax impaled upon the latter. The flax while held by the teeth of L and kept within the sweep of the teeth-points of M by the breast N is picked open, disentangled, and scutched, the use of the shell-roller in this connection being found very effective in aiding to produce those results.

The use of the double-grooved pulleys on the shafts of' L and M is for giving variable motion to the former, which is very desirable, in order to detain the flax on the shell-roller more Vor less time, according as it is difficult or easy to clean from being more or less well rotted.

When the flax is released from the shellroll it is carried down through theconcave O on the teeth 7c 7c, which are in the cylinder M similar in form of' construction and in action to'those described of cylinder H. rlhe peculiar formed concave O is more effective in cleaning flax than concaves constructed similarly to the concave I. In its use the cylinder-teeth k 7c, carrying the flax, pass between the grate-bars I) P, scntching the flax against the sides of the grate-bars as well as against the rods o o and the pointed projections m m of the grate-bars serve to prevent the flax from collecting and winding on the cylinder, and also to force itfrom the base toward the points of the teeth. The latter action is also effected somewhat by the forward inclination of the back sides of the projections n n, Src., which support the rods o o, Ste.

The flax carried by the teeth of cylinder M, af'ter passing the concave, is thrown off' the teeth and directed upward underneath the shell-roller by the chute-bottom Q, as was described of the action of cylinder H and chutebottom K, and it is impaled upon the teeth of shell-roller R, as was described of the action of shell-roller L and chute-bottom K.

The shell-roller It delivers and holds the ilax to the action of the picker-cylinder S, which, by its teeth, picks, opens, and disentangles and cleans it while it is held on the lteeth of the shell-roller, and when released from the latter it is carried around underneath on the points of the teeth of S, and

scutched against the inner edges of the face plates y y, Src., of the concave U, and after passing the concave it is thrown ofi from the teeth by centrifugal action and air-currents and borne away up and over the slatted chute-bottom V, and delivered from the ma chine, the deflecting-board and chute-coverW deiieoting the air-currents and aiding to bear away the fibers.

The use of the slatted chute-bottom is to forni a grate over which the liber will pass and through Which the flax-shives (thrown off cylinder S With the ber) may fall, and thus be- Colne separated from the liber.

The form of the teeth in cylinder S gives an efficient action of the cylinder from the backward inclination of thelower part of the tooth, which causes the flax to be forced toward the points of the teeth, when the cylinder is revolved at high speed, and from the forward curvature or hooked form of the outer end of the teeth, which causes the flax to be retained upon the points of the teeth, and thus, being carried positively around on the points of the teeth and closely to the inner edges of the faceplates ;1/ y, Ste., an efficient scutching action is obtained? rlhe hooked points of the teeth also give a more efficient picking action when the flax is held to their action by the shell-roller R than would be the case in the use of ordinary straight picker-teeth; and a similarly benetioial result is obtained in the described similar use of the hooked pointed teeth of cylinders H and M.

Certain moditications of the form or arrangementof the foregoiiig-described improvements may be used, which are as follows, viz:

First, the long and short teeth described of cylinder D, instead of being arranged separately in annular rows of long teeth alternating with annular rows of shorter teeth may be used together, with long and shorter teeth al-v ternating with each other in the same `annular rows; or the long and short teeth, may be otherwise combined in the same cylinder, and for the same purpose described of their use in cylinder D; and in any such use of them as described they may be set radial to the axis of the cylinder, or at other inclination than that shown in the drawings; or they may be made curved, and set at any angle found desirable.

' Second, the teeth t' t' of shell-roller L, and u u of shell-roller R, or ot' either ot' them, may be set radial to their axes, or other than that described of them.,

Third, the relative positions of cylinder H and shell-roller L may be such that the teeth le la shall not interlock with the teeth 'i i.

Fourth, the concave bars I? P may be set at greater distances apart and less of them be used than shown and described, to give a less severe action on the ber 5 and each gratebar may be made to support all the rods, or

'for the purposes set forth.

3. The cylinder-teeth c c and It h, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth. A

4. The picker-teeth v c, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. The cylinder-concave O, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

6. The hinged cover e", combined with the cylinder D, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination of toothed cylinder D, top roller, E, hinged cover e", uted rollers F F F F", plain rollers G Gr', cylinder H, concave I, chute-bottom K, shell-roller L, cylinder M, breast N, concave O,chutebotto1n Q, shellroller R, cylinder S, breast T, concaveU, grate chiite-bottom V, and chute-cover and ldeflecting-board W, all substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

STILLMAN A. GLEMENS.

Attest:

MELVILLE GLEMENs, lsAIAH F. Hov'r. 

